The following was submitted by april, senior merchandising manager, catalog
What better place to be than a city that’s been celebrating Mardi Gras–and their amazing Super Bowl win–for the past few weeks? The spirit here in New Orleans is incredible–there’s an electricity in the air!
Thirsty? First stop is the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone. Immortalized in the writings of Ernest Hemingway, the revolving Carousel Bar is a part of New Orleans history. It has a wild circus motif and is often filled with colorful local characters telling their stories.
Hungry? The raw bar at John Besh’s brasserie Luke in the central business district is the best in the city. The casual dining room and delicious flavors of fresh local fish and meats will definitely require a return trip.
Nightcap? No trip to New Orleans would be proper without a Sazerac cocktail. I tested many of these around the city and these two serve the best versions.
Named after what many consider to be the world’s first mixed drink, The Sazerac Bar carries with it as much history and lore as its potable namesake. Just gazing at the famous Paul Ninas murals that flank the long African walnut bar takes you back to the grandeur of old New Orleans. A time when Huey P. Long might stroll in, order a Ramos Gin Fizz, and spend the next few hours talking to his constituents.
The Hermes Bar at Antoine’s also has a wonderful history. Since 1840, world-renowned Antoine’s Restaurant has set the standard that made New Orleans one of the greatest dining centers of the world. Can you believe that this place has been in the same family for three generations and that they were only closed for four months after Hurricane Katrina?
Sleepy? I want to stay up all night so I don’t miss a thing–and this is definitely the place to do it. But too much of a good thing is not so good.
I check in to the Loft 523 hotel, which is only two blocks from the French Quarter (and much quieter). The rooms would make a perfect location for CB2 catalog photoshoots…minimal, warm, and inviting.
Read Full Post »
Special thanks to curtis, catalog art director, who contributed the following.
So many have requested information about the paint colors we use in our catalog photography that we keep a running list for quick reference. Below are the key colors used in our spring catalog–all from Benjamin Moore.
BM 2024-40 yellow finch, page 11
BM 2121-10 gray, page 16
BM 2124-50 bunny gray, page 8
BM 2013-20 orange nectar, page 31
BM 2021-20 lemon, page 30
BM 2152-40 golden tan, page 52-53
BM 2008-20 claret rose page 41
Last but certainly not least, and since there are scores of whites out there, decorator’s white.
Read Full Post »
The following was submitted by april, senior merchandising manager, catalog
On average our 80-page catalogs feature 12 people and 2 dogs. We usually send out emails asking if associates have time and interest in modeling and it’s worked well so far. But as we prepared to shoot our Holiday catalog, we decided to try something new so we emailed a canine casting call.
It included strict guidelines–such as very dark colored dogs don’t photograph well, they must be well trained, ie. no tinklers or growlers, and of course they had to be pretty darn cute.
The response was amazing–and hilarious–a total of 41 dogs, 3 cats, 1 child (in costume as a pup) and 1… mr.hungry.
How in the world could we decide–and not step on any paws in the process?! We stuck to our guns and edited the way we always do–with a strong focus. In the end, we chose 5 top dogs for the shoot so watch your mailbox for the final 2 that made the editors cut!
And the other 36? Most will get a call-back for the Spring catalog which goes on location next month!
Read Full Post »
Summer’s over and those easy home projects never got started? Or finished? Check out this time-lapsed video to see how fast one can be when tackled by a team.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Yz_tVwdPY&rel=0]
Considering this project took a total of 48 working hours–12 staff members just 4 hours each in real-time. What if the you in DIY was plural–as in do-it-ourselves?
Imagine what a difference multiplicity could make. Instead of a working vacation, what if it only took a few friends a few hours to replace your old linoeum kitchen flooring with sustainable cork tiles?
To start a DIO group:
- simply contact friends and family who would drive you to the airport–they’re the committed ones!
- each of you writes a list of projects that seem daunting for one, but a breeze for three or more
- rotate projects and houses so everyone benefits
- for best results, assign tasks based on each persons’ strengths or experience
- be materials prepared to avoid delays
- finally check it off your list!
In the process you can teach a friend how to hem curtains or learn how to replace a faucet–the possibilities are as endless as your list.
Been there, done that? What was the project and how did it go?
Read Full Post »
